We're
on a roll with the big cars this week. Next up is the sister car to Fat
Man... its the School Bus dubbed Little Boys. So named because that is
what it was originally intended to carry. The name is a little misleading,
as the car we tested tipped the scales at at a whopping 21,000 pounds.

Once
again, handling is a joke... moreso due to the increased weight of the
chassis and 14" tires, instead of 16. One of the major differences is
that this variant comes with a Houston ISD supplied v-8 engine. This does
little, however, to improve performance and really just serves to keep
acceleration and speed from suffering too much. Nitrous Oxide is again
the key to making this behemoth move. Once it gets going, the bus is more
devestating to get hit by than any car. The weapon loadout on Little Boys
is surprisingly effective and versitile. It has a 50 caliber machinegun
mounted on a turret on the roof, and a he mortar mounted on the side.
The droppers are the always exciting oil and fire combo. This doesn't
do much in the way of setting people up for an attack, since it takes
a while to face your opponent again after you have driven past them. But
it does help to disorient them and is just fun to watch. The rear mount
is, of course, not used because they are dumb. A
good mortar user can get kills my destroying the armor on his opponents,
not just the chassis. All these fun toys aren't free, but they do add
up to less than you would think, at only $14,995. Toxy has yet again come
up with a wacky big car to use in div 15 combat. And, once again, this
car will probably only appeal to the few people who can appreciate driving
something this huge. The finer points of driving big cars like this can
only be learned through extensive use... something we didn't have the
time for. But I can tell you that once you get the bus going at 90 to
100 mph, any kind of sudden stop is usually made with the assistance of
a wall. But if you can steer clear of the terrain, speeds like this can
be maintained for long periods of time. Just be sure you slow down at
all railroad crossings. Sitting inside this monster brings back memories
of junior high. The green plastic seats, windows that won't open right,
and bubblegum on the walls all make me think of the good old days. You
also get a feeling of power being the bus driver for once, and being armed.
Maybe there's something perverse about driving a school bus full of programmers
and running down other cars. But who cares? Its so much fun!

What's
Hot... killing people in a school bus.... I mean, its a school
bus for crying out loud!, getting the occasional .45 kill (totally humiliating
to your oppenent), looking out the back of the bus in f1 view, chasing
down an oppenent.

What's
Not... Trying to regen in the Salt Flats, being a big turret lock
for everyone in the game, turrets that aren't locked don't shoot over
the bus, not being able to turn off your engine while using NOS.